"Biggest hybrid ferry" Saint Malo sails from Portsmouth as new Brittany Ferries ship goes on exclusive sailing

Brittany Ferries’ latest LNG-electric ship, Saint-Malo, called into the city on Saturday (February 8) - arriving and departing purely on battery power. Guests were given guided tours of the new 194m long vessel as she sailed on a short excursion.

Christophe Mathieu, Brittany Ferries CEO, said excitement is building ahead of Saint-Malo’s first commercial sailing on Wednesday (February 12). He told The News: “We believe there is a lot of interest in people booking on that ship, not only because she’s new, but she’s also a novel vessel as this ship is the first and biggest hybrid vessel with LNG on one hand and batteries on the other. There is a lot of expectation and curiosity because it’s a true innovation.”

Saint-Malo emits no greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide. She is the fourth of five new vessels being built for the Brittany Ferries fleet between 2019 and 2025. The new ship is set to replace the beloved MV Bretagne.

Mr Mathieu said the company has put a lot of emphasis on hybrid power to decarbonise the fleet. The CEO added that he loves all the ships in the fleet, but Saint-Malo stands out for its identity to the Brittany region of France, with artwork and displays paying homage to the region.

“When you look round the ship, you’ll see that it’s all about the Brittany region and its people,” Mr Mathieu added. “There are plenty of things here that the Bretagne didn’t have, although we love the Bretagne because she’s an iconic vessel. Time has passed and it's time to move on. There are many items which make Saint Malo a great successor to Bretagne.”

As Saint-Malo set off from Portsmouth International Port, passengers were stunned by how quiet the engines were and the smoothness of the journey. Working in a similar way to a hybrid car, sailors can choose whether to run on on liquefied natural gas (LNG), electric batteries, or both, at the push of a button.

Technical director, Frederic Pouget, said the ship is a fantastic piece of engineering. He added: “This vessel is the biggest vessel to operate in full hybrid mode in the Channel, with the full power of 12MW. We can adjust everything to have the best efficiency with emissions.

“There is more or less no vibration or noise. We left Portsmouth on just electricity and it was a fantastic experience. We are going forward step by step, and we’ll advance over the next few years.”

The ship offers several amenities including a more spacious car deck, wider interior spaces, more comfortable beds, allergy free rooms, luxury cabins with exclusive access outside areas, dining experiences and lounges, the Le Jardin restaurant which primarily serves dishes from vegetables grown on stakeholder farms, and more.

Her ten decks house 387 cabins with a total capacity of 1,290 passengers. She will soon be able to utilise shore power charging at port. Mike Sellers, port director, said there is always a spike in passenger numbers whenever a new vessel sails from the city. “It’s a hugely impressive vessel and the start of a new era for green energy,” he added.

“Brittany has a high percentage of loyal customers who want to be the first people on board when the sailings start. With ships like this, people will choose it as a no fly holiday. Days like today are historic for the city and Brittany, who have been with us since day one.”

Amanda Martin, Portsmouth North MP, said: “It’s luxurious and the engineering is absolutely amazing. Portsmouth residents are benefitting from the investment in the port, and it’s not costing us our health and air quality.” The Labour politician said the port is generating £10.2m, which will go straight back into public services.

She said: “If you look at other councils around the country that are struggling, they don’t have that ferry port that’s owned by the council, so the money isn’t coming in. There are so many opportunities.”